Got layers of organic matter in your putting greens? That stuff holds water, which holds heat, and serves as a “risk factor” for root health.
It’s another week with rain in the forecast in many parts of Kansas. We’ve talked about this before on the blog many times – root health is key to getting through our tough summer months.
Do you have drainage problems? Do you have a buildup of organic matter? How do your roots look now? Sites with “pre-existing conditions” are the first ones to crash when the weather gets nasty.
Moisture management can be tricky, but there are tips and tools to help you. Here are links to two articles from last year:
By Jack Fry: – general tips for water management:
https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/good-water-management-will-help-get-greens-through-midsummer-stress/
By Dale Bremer – using moisture sensors:
https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/water-management-on-greens-with-soil-moisture-sensors/
Reducing summer stress on putting greens:
I’ve mentioned this fungicide guide (below) many times over the years. One of my favorite parts is the section starting on page 6 about reducing summer stress. Quick, off the top of your head, how many practices can YOU think of to reduce summer stress? The guide lists SIXTEEN steps to consider. Maybe you can’t do them all, but I bet you can try at least one new thing you have not tried before.
Here is the link (scroll to p. 6 for the summer stress)
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ppa/ppa1/ppa1.pdf
Pythium root rot:
My excellent colleague at U of Missouri, Dr. Lee Miller, has recently posted some very helpful info about Pythium root rot. You can find those articles here:
http://turfpath.missouri.edu/reports/2017/update05_26_17.cfm
http://turfpath.missouri.edu/reports/2017/update05_11_17.cfm
